Zelensky: Ukraine won't give up territory east to end war with Russia

Ukrainian President Volodymyr Zelensky told CNN that Ukraine is not going to give up territory in the eastern part of the country to end the war with Russia. He stressed that Ukraine's army is prepared to fight Moscow's army in the Donbas region in a battle it says could affect the course of the entire war.

Zelensky said in an exclusive interview Friday with CNN's Jake Tapper from the president's office in Kiev that his country has no guarantee that Russia will not again try to invade Kiev if it invades Donbas, abcnews.al follows.

This is why it is very important for us not to let them stand, because this battle... can affect the course of the entire war,” said Zelensky.

Ukrainian President also said he did not trust the world, while politicians say “again in”. I don't trust the world. After we've seen what's going on in Ukraine, I mean I don't believe this feeling that we have to believe, some countries or some leaders. We don't believe the words. After the Russian escalation, we don't trust our neighbours”

Zelensky's interview with CNN, more than seven weeks after Russian President Vladimir Putin's attack in Ukraine, comes as Ukraine's army has succeeded in resisting Russian offensive that came as a surprise to American intelligence, while the Kremlin had planned a decisive victory.

At the same time, Ukraine has suffered terrible civilian casualties throughout the country amid fighting. Zelensky told CNN that the world must prepare for the possibility that Putin uses a tactical nuclear weapon.

Zelensky spoke in Ukrainian and English about the horrors his country has witnessed and the urgent assistance the army should be equipped to avoid future Russian offensive in eastern and southern parts of Ukraine. g.v/abcnews. al